Students at Stake: Risks of AI Deployment in Higher Education
September 17, 2026 • Part of Student Defense’s SHAPE AI Resource Library
This comprehensive report explores how AI is getting embedded across higher education functions, including: recruiting and admissions, financial aid, grading, tutoring, counseling, and the delivery of education itself. The report is divided into three main areas of current AI uses on college campuses with potentially significant, adverse consequences for students, while also highlighting cross-cutting concerns:
Chapter 1: Admissions, Recruitment and Financial Aid: From marketing to admissions decisions to financial aid, colleges are increasingly using AI to support their enrollment goals. This section focuses on those uses, with a particular emphasis on ensuring consumer protections in the enrollment and aid process.
Chapter 2: Student Success and Supports: Institutions are adopting a host of tools to facilitate student success, including counseling and advisory services and supporting the delivery of basic needs benefits. With these services come clear benefits, but the risks of biases and incorrect information are severe in these high stakes settings.
Chapter 3: Education Delivery: AI tools have also become embedded in the learning ecosystem, from Learning Management Systems to course development, tutoring, and student assessments. Although AI can serve as a helpful supplement to student learning, the report highlights concerns that AI tools can exacerbate existing disparities.
“Students at Stake” builds on the SHAPE AI Initiative’s other reports and guides, including the Student AI Bill of Rights, the Dos and Don’ts of College Application Evaluation, and the Dos and Don’ts of AI in College Recruitment & Enrollment.
